School Library Journal recently announced their Top Ten Apps of the year.
Here is the list.  It is a great reflection of the wide variety of educational and enhanced books now available.

 

(Quality) Information is not free

Some recent articles contradict the common belief that all information is now available free on the Internet, and the mantra that “information wants to be free.”

Here is a study that shows how easy it is to “publish” inaccurate scientific research in open-source scientific journals.

And, this article details the “decline of Wikipedia.”  This is especially dangerous since Wikipedia articles appear first in most Google searches.

This comes as companies such as The Washington Post and The New York Times increasingly charge users to access their content with paywalls.

What is the answer?  Librarians need to do more to promote the “invisible internet.”  That is, subscription databases such as ProQuest that just about any public library and every college library subscribes to.  Unfortunately, using these resources is not as easy as Googling it, and users want quick answers in this Twitter age.  But, perhaps it is time to be more intentional and thoughtful in our research, as the President of the University of Florida urged in his recent commencement speech.

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FlipBoard

Of all the apps I have tried recently, the one I use the most is FlipBoard.  It is a great way to view Tweets and to see the related links.  It is also a great to personalize and organize media from a variety of sources.

Librarians Still Vital

This  study from the PEW Research Center demonstrates why librarians still have a vital role in a digital age.   A key finding: “Teachers gave students the lowest ratings when it comes to “navigating issues of fair use and copyright in composition” and “reading and digesting long or complicated texts.”  Librarians can play a vital role in both areas!

Scientific American study on reading

I wonder what the implications are for reading, e-readers, and teaching of reading.  I have seen an increased interest in reading in traditional book format

Ironically, here is the article in web format:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=reading-paper-screens

Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction – NYTimes.com

A very intersting article in the New York Times.

Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction – NYTimes.com.